Through the Fire and the Flames
by ShadowWalkerZA
Summary: The team receive news on an abnormal Helen's been hunting for years. Meanwhile Sanctuary gets a new habitant.


Chapter 1

_The hunter and the hunted_

_Deciding to bring Ashley into the world was more selfish than I had originally imagined. The loneliness had become a disease and I was beginning to loose all faith in who I was and my father's work. John's betrayal had torn away a piece of me that will never heal, but the pain is masked by seeing her smile everyday. I knew there would be times my selfishness would put her in danger, but we have both made it through. Sometimes I think there's a guardian angel watching us, poised to leap into the fray and save us both. _

The warm night air was electric and seemed to make Ashley's skin tingle with excitement. She loved the night; it was always a different to the world that had been baking under the summer sun's glare a few hours ago. The city was alive with much more life than it's human inhabitants, unawares, could ever dream of.

"Are you there yet?" Helen's voice over the comm. interrupted Ashley's reverie.

Ashley smiled as she checked the cartridge in her tranq gun, "Yeah I'm here, just point me in the right direction."

Helen's voice seemed charged with something Ashley couldn't quite put her finger on, "The building on your right, there's a door on the east side that leads to the back stairs. It's the best way to approach without alerting him of your presence."

Ashley briefly wondered if her mother was disappointed she couldn't join Ashley with the capture. She shrugged and proceeded towards the east door.

The one thing that struck her when she opened the door was that it didn't smell inside. It did smell like an old dilapidated warehouse, but when it's normally a dilapidated warehouse with a abnormal as it's inhabitant it usually smelt different. Something else bothered her as well but as with Helen's tone of voice she couldn't quite pin it down.

She ascended the stairs slowly and carefully. Her eyes were focused in front of her, but darted occasionally to the floor to scout any obstacles or items that might announce her if stepped on.

Ashley realized she was, in her mind, singing along to a song she had been listening to earlier. That was what bothered her when she entered the building, but it puzzled her. Normally her mind would filter everything out and focus on the mission. She paused and shook her head a little. It didn't go away. As she approached the door leading to a huge packing room Helen had pointed out to her earlier, she realized that the song wasn't playing in her mind but behind the door.

Suddenly the door opened and a voice from behind it called out, "I say, there's no need to be doing any of that skulking around, I adore visitors but I must warn you, I'm a rather eccentric host."

From the sound system in the background the song blared clearly now.

_And they're turning us into monsters  
Turning us into fire  
Turning us into monsters  
It's all desire  
It's all desire  
It's all desire_

A figure appeared from where the voice had come. Its eyes were slits like a cat, it had a tail that swished in the air tentatively and two very sharp and very viscous looking teeth stood out from the grin it gave her.

"Hmmm, you human types are not all that bad, you in heat yet?" it asked as Ashley just stood pointing the tranq gun at it.

She heard a stifled laugh over the comm.

"You know, don't get me wrong, but those pants…" it stopped and stared at the dart protruding from its chest.

As it crumpled to the ground unconscious, Ashley holstered the Tranq gun and moved forward "My pants do not make me look fat."

**ŠÃŊĈŦŨäŘŸ**

Bernard Alvintzi was a man that was not easily shaken. It was exactly this he kept repeating to himself as he hauled himself over a boulder and took cover. An inferno of fire rushed past the boulder on both sides. Bernard covered his already singed face. He was hot, scared as hell and miles away from home.

A piercing screech filled the early morning air and a massive shadow passed over head before disappearing back into the cave Bernard had made his flight from.

He waited a few more minutes before gathering the nerve to peer over the boulder. The coast, although burned to a crisp was clear. He sank back into a sitting position and dug through his jacket pockets. He barked in triumph as he pulled out a cigar. He lit it from the smoldering remains of his rifle and then sat back. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

A voice on the other end answered and his smile broadened, "Dr. Magnus, I believe I have found something you're looking for."


End file.
